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Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Chris
Kridler will be at theMeet the Authors Book Fair Nov. 23-24 at Eau Gallie Civic
Center, signing "Funnel Vision" and "Tornado Pinball," the first two
storm-chasing adventures in the Storm Seekers Series.

"Tornado
Pinball" was published this year and centers around the ultimate
storm-chasing stunt, as a TV crew tries to launch a human tornado probe.
As the reluctant consultant, expert storm chaser Jack Andreas must get
the show’s nervous star, failed tour operator Brad Treat, into a
twister. But Jack is losing his customary cool as a comedy of errors
unfolds. Distracting him is co-star Saffire, a Hollywood actress who is
more than she seems, and producer Wynda, who will do anything to make
her documentary succeed. The daring star of another show pursues them,
desperate for a shot with his own flying machine. As the disasters
mount, will Jack be able to launch their device into a tornado? The
novel is available at various online retailers; see http://chriskridler.com/books for information.

On
Nov. 10, Kridler will sign books at a party marking the launch of a new
storm photography exhibit. The party is 2-5 p.m. at Rocket City Retro
Mid-Century Modern Furniture & Design, 331 King St., in Cocoa
Village. The free event will feature wine, hors d’oeuvres and storm
videos in addition to Kridler's dramatic photography of tornadoes,
lightning and severe weather, displayed amid Rocket City Retro's stylish
furnishings and gifts from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Also catch Kridler's storm photography Dec. 2-31 at
the Cocoa Beach Library, 550 N. Brevard Ave. In a free library talk on
Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m., she will discuss what it takes to shoot great storm
and lightning photos, drawing on 17 years of experience chasing storms
in Tornado Alley and Florida. She will also sign books.

Chris Kridler is an award-winning writer, photographer and storm chaser who documents storms at SkyDiary.com and whose books, video and photos are featured at ChrisKridler.com. As a journalist, she’s covered topics from space to lifestyles and was a longtime columnist for Florida Today. Her photographs have appeared in several magazines and books, and she’s been featured in Popular Photography.

The Florida Historical Society will host author and journalist, T.D. Allman Thursday, December 5, 2013. Allman will discuss his latest book, Finding Florida. According to a review of Finding Florida in the New York Times, “Allman eviscerates just about all the men (and the handful of women) who have been influential in the state’s history.American presidents come in for particularly scathing indictments. Allman notes that it is not an accident that Andrew Jackson, who served as governor of Florida after leading a military incursion into the state, was saddled with a moniker – Old Hickory – that refers to the wood used to beat slaves. ‘Jackson’s long-term purpose was to transform – as he already had Alabama, Mississippi and his adopted home state, Tennessee – into a white supremacist slave state,’ Allman writes. John Quincy Adams, who served as secretary of state when the United States annexed Florida, doesn’t fare much better. While it is commonly held that the United States ‘purchased’ the state from the Spanish, no money was ever paid to Spain. For his role in acquiring the territory, Allman calls Adams ‘as much a thug as Jackson was.’“Allman is an indignant storyteller. He takes particular affront at how Florida historiography has mischaracterized pivotal players and events, and zealously marshalls evidence to set the record straight,” states the New York Times review.The lecture begins at 7 P.M. in the Library of Florida History, 435 Brevard Avenue in Historic Cocoa Village. The event is free and open to the public. Discussion and refreshments follow the talk. For more information on the Florida Historical Society and the Discover Florida Series, visit www.myfloridahistory.orgAbout the Author:T. D. Allman is the author of Miami: City of the Future and Rogue State: America at War withthe World. A native Floridian, he has written for countless publications and was a foreigncorrespondent for Vanity Fair.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Marry Me is a contemporary inspirational romance set in the
fictional, Southern town of Covington Falls.

Julia Richardson is no fan of weddings. A lifetime of
watching her parents treat relationships like the flavor of the month has
taught her that love is for fools. Then a crisis has Julia returning to the
small Southern town she’s been avoiding for years. Before she knows it, Julia’s
been pressed into service running her stepsister’s wedding planning business. Julia
doesn’t know a garter from a garden hose, but now she must navigate couples
along the bumpy path down the aisle. In the midst of it all, Julia makes the
most unexpected discovery of all…love, with widowed minister, Seth Graham. Julia’s
been running from love and everything spiritual for most of her life. It’s not
until she finds the courage to stop running and learns to believe in the power
of love, faith and family that she finds her own “I Do” moment.

Growing up Kristin devoured books like bags of Dove Dark
Chocolate. Her first Golden Book led
to Laura Ingalls Wilder, Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown, C.S. Lewis
and the Sweet Valley High series. Later, she discovered romance novels and
fell in love all over again. It’s no surprise then that Kristin would one
day try her hand at writing them. She writes inspirational romance and
women’s fiction filled with love, laughter and a leap of faith. When she’s
not writing her next novel, Kristin works as an
advertising copywriter for clients that have included the Miami Marlins,
Discovery Networks, The Peabody Hotel, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises and Sea
World. She also enjoys singing in her church choir and worship team and playing
flute in a community orchestra. Kristin is a member of Florida Romance Writers
where she has served as chapter president.

The discovery of the ancient Miami Circle, the mystifying St.
Petersburg’s CinderLady,
and the story of America’s first Civil Rights Martyr, are among these fifteen
true stories of
unsolved and unexplained happenings in the Sunshine State contained within Myths and Mysteries of Florida by E. Lynne Wright.

About the Author

E. Lynne Wright is a former nurse anesthetist and mother of three. She has enjoyed a long
associationwith
the Globe Pequot Press who will soon be publishing her eighth Florida book. Her
other published
works include short stories, non-fiction articles, essays and newspaper
columns.

An
anthology entitled “When Last on the Mountain” which includes one of Lynne’s
short stories, has
recently been made required reading for a course at a California State University branch.She is
a founding member of the National Women’s History Museum, a member of the International Women’s Writing Guild
and of the Space Coast Writers’ Guild where she served on the board and has won several
prizes for her short stories.

Her books are available in bookstores and libraries, and on line through
Amazon and Barnes & Noble and ebook.

Lynne is a participant in the Meet the Authors Book Fair in the Eau Gallie Civic Center during the Eau Gallie Artworks Festival on November 23 and 24. If you're in the Melbourne area during that time, this is one event you won't want to miss.

S.N. (Stan) Bronstein has published five fiction novels. The
first three are a trilogy of adult crime stories based in Miami Beach called The Fairlington Lavender Detective Series. His most recent works
are called Private Eye Cats and there
are now two books in the series available.

I recently discussed his most recent novels, which are
written for children aged 9-12, with him.

Lou: Why did you switch your genre from adult
to children’s books?

Stan: Istill
love writing adult fiction, but after completing my crime story trilogy I
realized that the theme could be successfully adapted to a younger audience. I
asked myself, “Why not let kids enjoy crime stories and use a creative style
that would not frighten them or glamorize wrongdoing?”

Lou: How did you do that in Private Eye Cats?

Stan: I accomplished this by writing the
stories without violence in the plot, and by using the theme of two ordinary
house cats who happen to speak English and who find themselves in the unique
position of taking on the role of private detectives. The cats are serious about solving
neighborhood crimes but they interact throughout the book with age appropriate
humor.

Lou: What captures children’s interest in the
books?

Stan: Scooter and
Nugget, the two main characters in the books, are sisters. They live in Miami Beach with their ‘humans’, and as in
all families there is sibling rivalry.
Scooter is older, wiser, and a mentor to Nugget. She reels Nugget in when she goes too far and
Nugget injects youthful humor into the story when Scooter gets too serious.

The interplay between the two cats as they go about their
crime-fighting business develops almost as a sub-plot in the books. The novels become as much about the cats’
personas as the story itself.

Lou: Are the cats real, or did you invent them
for the novels?

Stan: Scooter was our family’s first cat who
left us at age 18 a number of years ago.
Nugget is with us now and is four and a half years old. It’s a little bizarre but I wrote the books
reflecting on exactly how each one would react to the other if they were able
to speak English and did in fact work together fighting crime. Scooter would be the ‘straight man’ and
Nugget the comedian.

Lou: Some reviewers criticize a lot of
children’s books as being too ‘preachy.’ This tends to turn middle grade kids
off. How do you avoid this?

Stan: Avoiding this pitfall is a major goal of
my writing. I write the story and include the real life dangers that are out
there such as gangs, dangerous adults, and downright mean people. I allow the cats to face these challenges and
learn how to react to them on their own without my direction. How they deal with them sends a message to
the readers without an adult “telling them so.”

Lou: Are Scooter and Nugget going to have any
other cases to solve in the future?

Stan: You bet.
These girls are not finished fighting crime in their neighborhood. A third book in the Private Eye Cats series is in the works.

Stan will be one of the featured authors at the Meet the Author Book Fair at the Eau Gallie Civic Center during Artworks. The event is on November 23 and 24, 2013, in Melbourne, Florida. Please drop by to see Stan and all the authors.

DIRECTIONS: I-95 to Griffin Road exit (Exit 26). Go east on Griffin and make a right at the first light into the Sheraton parking area.

Book Trailers: From PowerPoint to iPad Apps By Alison McMahan, award-winning screenwriter, author, and filmmaker.

Book
trailers are great marketing tools and a fabulous addition to your
book’s webpage. Trailers spark discussions about your topic and draw
readers to your site. Book trailers can be expensive, but a short,
simply designed book trailer is not hard to make, using the resources
most writers already have. We will start with some guidelines for a good
trailer concept. If you are daring, bring a synopsis (no more than 250
words) of your book and I’ll use one from the group to do a sample book
trailer script. Then we will go through the basics of finding free
music and images and creating a powerpoint-slide show book trailer
(there will be a webpage with a list of resources). For the more
cinematically ambitious we will look at ways to make a live-action movie
with an iPad, and how to use stop-motion, animation, and other effects
with easy-to-find apps.

Malabar, FL - Stuart J. Borton, the co-owner of the Yellow Dog Café located here, has just
released his newest cookbook - Old Dog New Chefs. The cookbook is being released at the
same time a coloring book, centered on cooking, has been created by Borton’s wife, Nancy.
“We are excited and thrilled that the books were completed for the Thanksgiving and holiday
season,” Borton said, adding, “This cookbook, and the accompanying coloring book, are family
centered and are aimed at having families come together in their kitchens to create great meals.”
Borton’s book starts with the basics and does not stray to far from there. After years of volunteer
teaching 6th to 8th grade students cooking classes he learned first hand what those new to the
kitchen wanted to learn how to cook.

Old Dog New Chefs is a great starter book without going into so much detail that it prevents
creativity in the kitchen. This very easy to follow 162 page book has lots of pictures and
illustrations and is sure to become one of your favorite cookbooks.

This is Borton’s 2nd cookbook following the success of his Yellow Dog Cafe Cookbook in 2010.
Nancy Borton’s cartoon book aims to help kids have fun while being with their parents in the
kitchen preparing meals. “We believe this is a great combination and we really want parents to
bring their children into the kitchen so they can work together as a family,” she said.

The book can be purchased at Barns and Nobles, Petties Meat, online at yellowdogcafe.com or
by stopping by the restaurant, which is located at 905 U.S. 1 Malabar, Florida. Reservations can
be made by calling (321) 956-3334

The Meet the Authors' Book Fair is November 23 and 24 during the Eau Gallie ArtWorks Fine Art Festival in Melbourne Florida. Be sure to stop by the Eau Gallie Civic Center to meet the authors and see their books. Stuart Borton will be there to sign copies of his books.

As our list of living 'admirables' gets shorter and shorter, the newly published book Sainted & Painted
will restore your faith in mankind, or at least in womankind.

Cindy
Michaud, author and illustrator, presents a dozen new heroes (aka
saints) in her charming 9" x 6" book which will delight you in many
ways.

Sainted & Painted, Stories of the Not Wholly Holy,
introduces such modern day saints as St. Jane of the Generous, St.
Sharon of the Survivors, St. Cheri of the Faeries and St. Amy of the
Adventurous. The "miracles" of these real life characters are storied
vignette-style and followed by original portraits painted a la
Modigliani. Symbols used for each saint as well as decisions made
regarding the pose are detailed along with the story. Each chapter will
amuse and inspire you and may even lead you to light a few candles in
tribute.

Explaining
the saint envy she experienced as a child, Cindy writes about the day
she realized that even as a Protestant she had a saint to call upon. Anyone
who was raised with saints, or wishes they had been, will be
entertained and educated with this little tome. At only $12.99 the full
color book makes the perfect "on hand" gift to share with girl friends,
church friends, art lovers or those who may qualify for sainthood
themselves. Copies are available on Amazon as well as Createspace.

Cindy is an artist and sometimes-author living in Melbourne, FL and Seven Devils, NC. You may reach her at art@cindymichaud.com or visit her webpage at www.cindymichaud.com. This book follows her success with She Knew, Finally, which
is still in print and available. Writers and readers who enjoy
learning more about art, artists and art appreciation will enjoy her
weekly blog and may subscribe at her website.

Dippy
Duck's Adventures is the newest children's book released from Mirror
Publishing Co. written by Barbara Beswick of Sebring, Florida. Barbara
is originally from New Jersey where she and her husband owned a
gentlemen's farm and raised 5 children. The idea for this book is only
one of the many stories that happened on the farm. Erich was her
youngest son when this story of the Pekin duck, "Dippy," actually
happened. He is rescued by Erich from a red fox and then, the adventure
continues.

The
book is designed for any age listener and readers from 4th to 7th grade. Readers
will find the included Glossary a big help before reading the story.

The pastel illustrations give a feeling for farm living and were
executed by Barbara who is a retired art teacher. Barbara also wrote A Christmas Moon in 2012 and both books are available by ordering through any book store or on line at Amazon.

Pictures:Barbara Beswick and son, Erich who is the main character (10 years ond) in her new children's book, Dippy Duck's Adventures.

Cover of book illustrated by the author with several reviews by notaries on the back.

Veteran author
Sieglinde P. Young’s sixth novel Solace Under A Tamarind Tree about
life in Thailand’s infamous Lard Yao Women’s Prison would shock even a
hardened criminal now incarcerated in the U. S. prison system.

Amporn,
a naive Thai university student’s life is forever shattered when she
falls hopelessly in love with a handsome opportunist. When police accuse
and arrest her for smuggling drugs into Thailand she is totally
confused and disconcerted. After her situation normalizes she swears
vengeance against the man who caused her predicament although she
doesn’t know his real name. Not until her daughter’s eighteenth birthday
does Amporn discover that the man wooing her daughter is the same man
who fathered her child and abandoned her to her fate.

Ms. Young will sign copies of her new novel at the “Meet the Authors’ Book Fair” on November 24th at the Eau Gallie Civic Center in Melbourne, Florida.

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Not a self-portrait... This is Fluffy who stands in for me during photo shoots.

Thanks so much to Jaimie Engle. She featured me on her blog this week. If you've ever wondered how I got started in writing and art or just who is this person called Lou Belcher who writes Florida Book News , please stop by and have a look at the interview. Click here to visit her blog.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Jaimie Engle will be signing copies of CLIFTON CHASE AND THE ARROW OF LIGHT at
Books & Books in Coral Gables on Saturday, November 2nd. She will be
one of a panel of Florida authors discussing the writing and publishing
process. There will even be an opportunity for an audience member to
have a character named after them! Additional information about Jaimie and her book is at www.jaimiengle.com

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

InA GARDEN FULL OF BUTTERFLIES, a young
girl Marissa, is trying to cope with and understand the death of her
mother.Her father is not only trying to deal with his wife's death, but also
take care of Marissa. Marissa finds comfort in a kind neighbor, Mrs.
Chancey, and a butterfly garden that Mrs. Chancey takes great pride
in. One day Mrs. Chancey explains to Marissa why her butterfly garden is so
important to her and tells Marissa a special story that relates to the
butterflies but is similar to a biblical parable. With Mrs. Chancey's guidance
both Marissa and her Dad learn that death does not have to be final. They can
have eternal life with their loved ones.

About the Author

Lynn S. Combes was born in Queens, New York. She married her
husband and moved to Florida to raise a family where they have lived for
thirty-two years. They have raised three children together. Their first
daughter was called home to be with the Lord at the age of five. The death of
her daughter prompted Lynn to become educated in the grieving
process. Her desire to help others deal with grief prompted Lynn to work
in a local Hospice organization where she developed and oversaw bereavement
programs. She later went on to complete her masters degree in elementary
education, specializing in childhood learning disabilities. Her expertise in
the grieving process has given Lynn numerous opportunities to speak to groups
and individuals. This testimony along with her love and devotion to God form
the basis of her writings.

Lynn will be participating in the Meet the Authors' Book Fair at the Eau Gallie Civic Center on the weekend of November 23 and 24, 2013. This is an annual event during the Eau Gallie Artworks Festival. Don't miss it if you are in the Melbourne, Florida area.

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About Me

Lou Belcher enjoys drawing, painting and writing and loves developing paintings in mixed media that will bring a smile to your face. She has a passion for whimsy. In addition to painting and writing, Most recently she has begun to spend time writing and studying health issues.